In the past, various different anti-skid brake systems have been utilized on automotive vehicles and various different types of electric circuit controlling devices have been utilized in such systems to control or regulate the operation thereof.
In at least some of the past anti-skid brake systems of the hydraulic type, a pump was energized to establish fluid pressure in such systems which was utilized to effect the actuation of the vehicle brakes when braking action was initiated by a vehicle operator, and electronic circuitry was utilized to effect the anti-skid features or operation of the vehicle brakes during such braking action. The electronic circuitry of the anti-skid brake system was enabled through an electric circuit controlled by an electric circuit controlling device in response to fluid pressure of a preselected value generated in such system by the pump thereof and subjected to the electric circuit controlling device. A relay for the pump was picked-up and dropped-out in another electric circuit controlled by the electric circuit controlling device thereby to control the energization and deenergization of the pump when the system fluid pressure obtained other values greater than that at which the electronic circuitry was enabled.
To effect the aforementioned enablement of the electronic circuitry and the control of the pump relay, the past electric circuit controlling devices employed toggle switches for switching in the electric circuits associated with the electronic circuitry and the pump relay. One of the disadvantages or undesirable features of the aforementioned past electric circuit controlling device is believed to be that the toggle switches utilized therein did not have a clean snap or snap-action. For instance, it is believed that the switch arm of these toggle switches tended to roll its contact into engagement with a stationary contact therefor thereby to lose contact continuity which resulted in switch chatter. Another of the disadvantageous or undesirable features of the aforementioned past electric circuit controlling devices is believed to be that contact bounce time of these toggle switches was too great. For instance, when the switch arm of the toggle switches engaged its contact with the stationary contact therefor, the switch arm contact tended to bounce into circuit making engagement with the stationary contact. In response to this bouncing action of the switch arm contact, it is believed that the pump relay may have been repeatedly and quickly energized and deenergized which may not only have adversely affected the operation of the pump but may have also resulted in the welding of the relay contacts.